I have had my e-book 75% completed and found it on my hard drive, time to finish this beast.  Subscribers get it free!  I have many more plans in the works including more videos and tutorials, my product photo booth setup and some videos of meeting up sellers online.

I created a community forum for everyone to enjoy and share experiences.  It is just getting started and I will be making changes to the layout, however it is live as of now!

Check out the forums at: http://buyandflip.net/forum

Register and introduce yourself.

Cleaning your items before selling does two important things; increases the value or final sale price and creates a faster sale!

Whether you are flipping a vehicle or a small item, cleanliness is an important factor when it comes to selling.

Most people who are just simply selling their items to get rid of them do not care about taking the extra time to clean their possessions.  This is where you can find great deals!  Most of the cars I buy and flip are dirty and all it takes is a few hours and some elbow grease to increase the value, not to mention it would make the sale come quicker!

For you smaller items, there is one product on the market that is a miracle worker:

Magic Eraser!

I usually buy the walmart brand as they work just the same.  Magic Erasers are basically a sponge with a very small abrasive material that perfectly cleans items and can even make them look brand new! Always test a very small corner to make sure the abrasive does not ruin the item’s finish.

Here are some before and after pictures that a member on a local forum posted:

The left side has been cleaned with magic eraser, look how clean it is compared to the right side!

BEFORE:

AFTER:

This is an update to this post: http://buyandflip.net/buying-large-collection/

I had an eBay member that lived about 2 hours from me purchase one of the items from my eBay store.  She said she would like to come check it out and check out me entire collection.

It was a Friday afternoon and I did not expect much out of this meeting, however when she pulled up in a large truck I thought it was possible she might buy the whole lot!  She came inside and started looking around and opening random items to check for damages. After about 10 minutes of poking around the collection she said she would buy it all for the right price and offered me $2500. I paid $2300 for the whole lot knowing I could make two or three grand by slowly selling all the items individually.

I told her 3,000 is my bottom dollar.  She said she could not pay that much and pulled out $2700 cash and told me thats all she brought. At first I said no, but then I started thinking about how this relieves me of the tedious task in listing EVERY SINGLE ITEM.  I decided that a $400 profit was worth it and I told her it was a deal.

Now you might be thinking, okay he let it go for a $400 profit when he could have made $2000.  The way I see it, I made $400 and can focus the time/energy saved to buy and flip more items!

I just wanted to give you an update and let you know that this collection paid off!

I have never tried this before, however I have done my homework and know what I am up against.  Usually I wait until I have completed my flips before I post, this will be a series of posts giving updates on this process.

I found a seller on craigslist that was local to me who needed to empty is storage unit. He had recently moved and had a large collection of Department 56 North Pole buildings and accessories.  Now what is Dept 59?  Ask any female over the age of 50 and they will start drooling. These things are so desirable that I am going to sell them individually, ALL 238 items.

I had a roommate move out and so this spare bedroom is perfect for the job.  I have already begun converting it into an eBay studio.  Check out the pictures below on the unpacking of this large lot.

I have a ton of great ideas for this eBay collection including making a tour of all the products and posting the video on each ad.  I have opened up an eBay store for the time being because you save a lot of money on the listing fees.

Looking to post something on Craigslist?

Follow my guide here on buyandflip.net and learn to create an effective ad giving you the opportunity to sell your item fast and for top dollar!

I wanted to use my iPhone as the example because there are a lot of phones on craigslist and there is a lot of money in flipping cell phones.

*** Click on the images to open them up in a larger window ***

Taking Pictures:

Pictures are your main selling point. You should take as many pictures as possible showing every aspect of the item you are selling, this gives your

potential buyers the confidence to purchase your phone because they know there will not be any surprise scratches or other imperfections that might have been left out.

I use a large sheet of paper as my backdrop for the pictures with my phone number displayed. I choose to have my phone number in pictures because this lets potential buyers know that I have actually taken those photos and they are not stolen from other listings. If you are not comfortable putting your phone number in the listing, you could use your email address.

Hosting the pictures:

Craigslist allows you to upload four pictures to their listing. These four pictur

es are reduced in quality as craigslist puts them on their servers. I use a method allowing me to bypass this four picture limit and display as many pictures as I want in my listing.

To bypass the picture limit you must host the images yourself. I use a service called Imgur (pronounced image-er or Imager). There is a link at the bottom of this posting to Imgur’s website.

Upload all of your pictures at once to Imgur’s server. After uploading them, click on the link that says “Generate Multiple Links.” A window will popup and you can chose what type of links to pop up. Chose the “HTML Image (Websites/Blogs)” selection and then hit copy.

This copies the HTML code to the pictures for use when creating the listing.

Creating the Listing:

Open the editor and go directly to the source, it is located in the top left of the editor. There will be a sample code in the editor and you will need to select all (ctrl + a) and delete the code. Once the source is blank you will paste (ctrl + v) the code you copied from the image uploader.To make an effective craigslist ad you need to design it in HTML format. Dont know HTML format and want to design it like a word document? Easy, just use a WYSIWYG editor, which stands ”What You See Is What You Get.” I have provided a link to the editor I use in my resources section at the bottom of my post.

Once the code is pasted into the source you can hit the source button again and go back to the designer. You should see all of your pictures show up. You can now add your text above the pictures

the same way you would in a word document. In my opinion, centering everything gives the listing a clean look.

Posting the Ad:

Once you have designed the listing to your liking, you are now ready to post it. You will go back to the source on the editor and select all (ctrl + a) and copy (ctrl + c) the entire source code.

Head on over to Craigslist.com and sign in or sign up if you do not already have an account. Click on the post to classifieds link and you will be presented with a few options. First select the post type, I am selecting the “for sale” section. You will see a new screen and select your category, I will select cell “phones – by owner.” Some cities have multiple areas and you will need to select one if you are posting in a city with more than one area on craigslist.

On the next screen you will see boxes for Title, Price, Location and Description. You will paste (ctrl + v) the source code (that you copied from the editor) into the Description box. Leave that code alone and start typing out a title. Try and fill up the entire title box with descriptions of the phone. You will then need to add a price and location to the listing before clicking continue. Do not worry about add/edit images because you have inserted images in the source code.

Most of the time you will be presented with a captcha to verify you are human, once this is complete you will see a page showing you your listing, an option to edit or delete and a link to the public listing.

You are now finished with the listing, sit back and wait for the calls to come in. Expect text messages as well.

TIPS:

Use google voice as an alternate number.
Refer to my blog post, Protecting yourself when buying off craigslist for tips on staying safe when you buy or sell.

Resources:

Easy HTML Editor - http://ckeditor.com/demo 
Free Image Hosting – http://imgur.com
Google Voice – http://voice.google.com

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I have been buying things from craigslist for many years and never had a problem (knock on wood). I have had a few awkward situations where the seller’s item is not as described and I was forced to back out of the deal.   In this post I will give you a few pointers to stay safe.

Always meet in a public place:

This may be the single most important rule when buying and selling items over craigslist.  The only exception to this rule is if you are buying some sort of heavy item/furniture where you would pick it up at the sellers home.  Here in Arizona, we have a chain of gas stations called QuikTrip. QuikTrip gas stations are a very safe place to meet as they are always busy, super well lit, and have video surveillance over their parking lots.  We have QuikTrips everywhere and I always try to make sure I meet at one.  If the seller refuses to meet me at a quick trip, they better have a legitimate alternative like a Bank (during bank hours).  Walmart parking lots, malls, and fast food restaurants may sound like safe alternatives because they are busy, but can actually be dangerous because most customers are inside or walking to and from the establishment.  If you are at a gas station, you have many people “People Watching” as they pump gas into their vehicles.  If you were to need help or a witness, you are more likely to have one at a gas station compared to other places.

Bring a friend:

If you have a friend or a spouse who is willing to tag along, bring them.  I usually bring a roommate and it adds to the comfort level when having someone else.

Bring protection(if you can):

If you live in a state that allows firearms to be concealed you can (if comfortable and trained) take advantage of your right to carry a firearm.  I took multiple classed and training to obtain a concealed weapons permit and carry a concealed firearm with me for every transaction.   Even if I never have to pull the firearm out, it is worth it knowing I have one with me in case I encounter a situation where one is needed.   Its also becomes a great conversational piece when you notice the other individual has a firearm as well.  (gun owners love to talk about their guns)
               *** I do not recommend the above advice to anyone who has not taken the proper classroom training regarding Concealed Carry. 

Research the seller/buyer:

I do this with every transaction, it becomes a habit after a while.  I always reverse search their email and phone number on google.  Put their email address into Facebook and see if they have a profile, use some profiling to see what type of person they look like.  9 times out of 10 it makes me comfortable to see that they look like a normal respectable member of society.

I simply type in their number on google and see what pops up.  If you see a ton of craigslist ads come up under their name they may also be a flipper/dealer.  I have avoided a few situations (buying cars) where the seller claims to be a private owner on a vehicle and it turns out he is a dealer.  These shady guys wont tell you about the sales tax you must pay until you make the deal.

Know about the item beforehand:

Lets say you are buying a cell phone on craigslist. You want to know ahead of time if the cell has been blocked from service on Verizon or Sprint phones (t-mobile and at&t do not block esn numbers).  You can get the ESN number from the seller and check http://www.checkesnfree.com/ to see if the ESN has been blocked. Verizon/Sprint will block an ESN when a bill has not been paid or if the phone was lost/stolen.  You would also want to look at the water damage indicators behind the battery.  These show red if the phone has been in contact with water.

Use an alternate number:

Instead of using your home phone or mobile phone to make the calls or texts, sign up for Google’s free service called Google Voice.  you can sign up at voice.google.com with your existing Gmail account or create a new one. Best of all its FREE!  How it works:  When signing up you are given a phone number with the area code you choose. You link Google Voice to your current phone and can use your phone to make calls or texts or use the website to initiate calls. You can have a do not disturb setting so it goes right to voice mail so you do not get calls at night or when you are not available.  Voice mails are emailed to you or you can down the app on iPhone, Android or Blackberry to view/play.  Voice mails are even transcribed so you can read them!

I hope this post will help you when it comes time to meet a stranger from craigslist.   I can’t guarantee something won’t happen, but following the most important rule of meeting in a public place will decrease the chances of encountering a bad situation.  If you ever have any questions feel free to email me from this blog, contact me on skype or tweet me @bwilliams210

Often times you hear people say “anything can be sold on eBay.”  They are not kidding, you really can sell anything.  Broken items, for example, can bring in great profit for a flipper .  If an item is broken and out of warranty most people think it has no value and either throw it away or stuff it in a closet.

Where can I find broken items to flip?  Searching craigslist is a great way to start, many people simply put an ad up to see what they can get.  I have noticed that lowball offers almost always work on broken items.  I also have ads up on craigslist for broken electronics, many times a seller will be searching for a replacement and see my ad.

I purchased a broken DJ mixer from a guy on craigslist who was selling it to put money towards a replacement.  The unit did not power on and appeared to have no visible external or internal damage (I opened it up in the parking lot when we met). I paid $80 for the unit and was on my way.   Before making the purchase, my research indicated other broken units like this one went anywhere from $140 to $180.

I posted the unit on eBay and the questions started coming in, I had a bidder ask for some pictures of the inside. **Always answer questions and send additional pictures upon request as the bidder requesting the picture was the winning bidder**

Paid: $80
Sold: $152.50
Ship Price: $65 (was heavy/large)
Ship Cost: $50.00
PayPal Fee: $6.61
Ebay Fee: $15.25

Profit: $65.64 

The total amount of time invested in this flip was probably around 1.5-2 hours.

About a year ago a local auction company was liquidating a wireless store. This auction was online bidding only.  I like these types of auctions because they generally have a preview day or two so you can get down there at your convenience to view all the items up for grabs.   I love bidding from home because you can continue researching items right up until it the bidding ends.

I went down to the preview to check out all of the items at this store. The preview was actually located in the store and everything was still setup as if the store was actually in business. This made it easy to spot the items  compared to the normal warehouse auction setup.

I saw in the item catalog that there was a lot for “Dummy Phones”. If you are unfamiliar with that term, it means the phone is a non working display only phone.  I had looked on eBay the night before and these were bringing in about $5-10 each and there were 17 in this lot.  I found the lot in a display case that the auction company had not located keys for yet.  I walked around the display case and started checking these phones out from an angle and noticed they were not “Dummy Phones” and were in fact real phones.

I got super excited and wrote down in my notes to bid on this lot.  Curiosity really got to me and my mind started racing with questions.  Do they have batteries? Do they work? Did any other bidders notice they were real?  I had attended the first of two preview days so I knew they had time to find the key and open the display case.  The lady told me since the display case was up for auction to keep checking the display case’s description to see if they post that it has a key.

Lucky for me, they never found that key.  The bidding came to an end and I won the lot of 18 phones for $98.00.  I was quick to get the cash and pick my items up.  When I went to pick the phones up the lady running the liquidation had just popped the lock off and handed me a box with my phones.  She even made a comment how they felt and looked like real phones.

The time came to inspect these phones and I had no clue what to expect.  All of them had batteries and after a quick charge they all turned on!  I quickly listed each on individually on eBay and patiently waited for the results!

I turned a total profit of $376.04  from my $98 investment 

Check out the spreadsheet below (keep in mind, this was over a year ago so the pricing make look higher than what the values are today)

Click on the spreadsheet to enlarge:

I wanted to make a post about the value of  items that you can’t buy in stores.

My example today is promotional mini fridges.  These are given out by distributors by energy drink companies and people LOVE THEM.  Many eBay buyers want them for their bachelor pads or dorm rooms.  Being these are not sold in stores, they fetch a high dollar at auction!

I have flipped about 10-15 of these on eBay.  You can find them on Craigslist or at auctions and garage sales.

They are not easy to ship, but the profit is there and ready for the taking.

The last  Fridge I sold (Monster Energy Fridge):

Paid: $100
Sold: $260

My total profit was $137.92 cents after eBay and PayPal fees!!I charged $65 for shipping and the actual shipping cost was $51!

I came across a little gem in early April.  I was searching craigslist and found this 2003 Porsche Boxster Convertible for sale on craigslist. The ad had no pictures and very little to its description.   I called and talked with this guy for quite a while, car sounded like it was in great condition. He was asking 16,000 for the car and told me he would go as low as $15,500.

I convinced the girlfriend to drive out there and brought cash with me, he was about 45 minutes away from my house.  He was an older gentleman and that gave me a little confidence as these old guys really keep their cars nice. By nice, I mean NEVER driving them.

Once we arrive I couldn’t believe my eyes. This car was pristine, it looked like a 2010!  The leather was in perfect condition, not a scratch in the paint and the soft top was jet black with a nice glass window. Normally the tops fade here in arizona and the windows are vinyl which fade and warp instantly in the summer. It was a semi girly car, but I loved it.

The car drove better than expected and everything worked.  I tried my best from showing my true happiness with the car.  **Rule #1 in car buying, do not show the seller(or dealer) that you are in love with the car, you are giving up your bargaining power because they know you will fork out more**  I made a cash offer of 14,500 and told him that was where I needed to be.  The guy was happy with that number and wanted to get it out of his garage for his new toy, a golf cart.

I waited a little while to put it up for sale as the weather was excellent here in Arizona and I was enjoying myself. The car quick and nimble and constantly turned heads.  I have driven many head turning vehicles, but this one appealed to the older crowd.

Once I got the itch for a change I put it on craigslist and sold it for $16,500 within a week.  I put 1150 miles on it and had it for 29 days!

Purchased:  $14,500
Sold: $16,500
Profit: $2,000!!